Best Urban Planning Schools Near Goleta, CA (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Goleta, California has 5 accredited schools offering urban planning programs, with tuition ranging from $7,458 to $49,403 per year for indexed programs. Goleta has a population of about 32,693. Median household income is $118,039 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 48.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area, the top-earning urban planning-related role is Managers, All Other at a median $167,090 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Urban Planning Schools to Goleta

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer urban planning programs near Goleta, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Goleta city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Goleta. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA 74.9 miles from Goleta
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
89.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $90,768
Avg net price $16,665/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 84

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

California State University-Northridge

Northridge, CA 77.1 miles from Goleta
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
75.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,115
Avg net price $7,021/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,458
Out‑of‑state$20,058
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 103

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

University of California-Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA 84.8 miles from Goleta
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
93.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 9%
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $82,511
Avg net price $12,548/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,203
Out‑of‑state$49,403
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 161

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA 94.5 miles from Goleta
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,498
Avg net price $32,740/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 267

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#5

Southern California Institute of Architecture

Los Angeles, CA 96.8 miles from Goleta
  • 4 year
59.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,909
Avg net price $43,923/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 6

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

California State Polytechnic University-Pomona

Pomona, CA 119.3 miles from Goleta
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
86.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 75%
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,902
Avg net price $11,531/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,780
Out‑of‑state$20,380
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 64

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#7

University of California-Irvine

Irvine, CA 127.7 miles from Goleta
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
90.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 29%
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $80,735
Avg net price $14,251/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,722
Out‑of‑state$49,922
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 134

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

California State University-Fresno

Fresno, CA 164.2 miles from Goleta
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
78.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 95%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,244
Avg net price $7,000/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,350
Out‑of‑state$19,950
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 96

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California urban planning page.

Urban Planning Wages Near Goleta

Goleta is part of the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area (BLS area code 42200). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Urban and Regional Planners $105,500 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA $96,967
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $105,230 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA $96,719
Surveyors $100,930 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA $92,767
Geographers $114,460 CA statewide $105,202
Social and Community Service Managers $79,920 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA $73,456
Management Analysts $99,990 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA $91,903
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists $102,780 CA statewide $94,467
Managers, All Other $167,090 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA $153,575

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Goleta at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 32,693 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $118,039 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 48.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 108.8 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Goleta-Area Cities With Urban Planning Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited urban planning schools are near Goleta, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering urban planning programs near Goleta. The closest is California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo in San Luis Obispo, CA (74.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Southern California Institute of Architecture (96.8 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying urban planning roles near Goleta?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying urban planning-related roles near Goleta are: Managers, All Other ($167,090), Geographers ($114,460), Urban and Regional Planners ($105,500). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Santa Barbara instead of Goleta?

Santa Barbara, CA is 8.0 miles from Goleta and has its own set of local urban planning programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Goleta an affordable place to study urban planning?

Goleta’s median household income of $118,039 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Goleta while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Urban Planning Programs

Other Programs Available in Goleta

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Goleta:

Data verified: September 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Urban Planning Schools in California (2026)